PROMOTING HERITAGE - AND CULTURE - BASED EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM IN THE BLACK SEA BASIN Project No BSB-1145 COMMON BORDERS. COMMON SOLUTIONS. Regional Needs Assessment: Greece Partner: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki City_Space_Flux Research Group This Report has been prepared by: Athena Yiannakou, Professor, AUTh Angelina Apostolou, Researcher, AUTh Vasiliki Birou-Athanasiou, Researcher, AUTh AUTh PRO-EXTOUR Project Coordinator: Apostolos Papagiannakis, Assoc. Professor, AUTh Contributions: Athina Vitopoulou, Assist. Professor, AUTh contributed in the discussion. Konstantina Dimitra Salata, Researcher AUTh and Dimitrios Angelis, graduate student UoM, contributed in the statistical data analysis. January 2021 1 Common borders. Common solutions. Content Introduction ................................................................................................... 3 1. Economic profile, share of tourism sector and the development of cultural sectors in the BSB-GR region ................................................................................................. 4 1.1. Economic profile of the BSB-GR region ........................................................... 4 1.2. Tourism activity in the BSB-GR region ............................................................ 8 1.3. The cultural sectors in BSB-GR and its links to tourism ...................................... 13 2. Specifics of the products and enterprises: main problems and needs raised by the field research....................................................................................................... 16 2.1. Profile of the field research ...................................................................... 16 2.2. Specifics of the offered tourist products/services: main problems and needs ............ 18 2.3. Specifics of the tourism enterprises: main problems and needs ............................ 22 3. Consumers’ attitudes and perceptions related to culture- and heritage-based experiential tourism ........................................................................................................ 25 3.1. Profile of the consumers’ survey ................................................................. 25 3.2. Main findings and issues raised ................................................................... 26 4. Sustainability and Innovation ........................................................................... 30 5. Conclusions: Opportunities and implications for action ............................................ 32 References ................................................................................................... 37 Appendix I. Economic indicators and tourist activity .................................................. 38 Appendix IΙ. Analytical results of the consumers’ survey .............................................. 46 2 Common borders. Common solutions. Introduction This Report is part of the work package GAT1 Setting Strategic Goals for the Heritage- and Culture-based Experiential Tourism of the EU Project ProExTour (Promoting Heritage- and Culture-based Experiential Tourism in the Black Sea Basin) and concerns the Greek region which belongs to Black Sea Basin (for now on BSB-GR). The BSB-GR region consists of two administrative regions in the north of the country, the Region of Central Macedonia and the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (NUTS codes EL52 and EL51 respectively). With an entire area of 33,352 km2 these two regions cover the largest part of Northern Greece. The total population of BSB-GR is almost 2,5 million people, 23% of the national population. The Region of Central Macedonia is the second largest region in Greece after Attica. To a large extent it is an urban region with the city of Thessaloniki, the second largest metropolitan area in the country, being its main urban centre. It occupies 19,168 km2 and has a population of 1.882.108 people, 17% of the entire Greek population, 58.7% of which live in the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki. Administratively speaking the region is divided into 7 Regional Units, by order of size the Regional Units of Thessaloniki, Serres, Imathia, Pella, Pieria, Halkidiki and Kilkis. The Regional Units of Thessaloniki, Halkidiki and Pieria assemble the highest tourist activity in the Central Macedonia. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is one of the smallest regions in Greece based on area and population. It occupies 14.184 km2 with a population of 608.182 people, 5,6% of the country’s total population. The region’s population is more evenly distributed amongst 5 of its 6 Regional Units. The Regional Unit of Evros with 147,947 inhabitants assembles the largest share, 24.3% of the region’s population, followed by the regions of Kavala, Rodopi, Xanthi, Drama, all of which are holding a percentage of the region’s population fluctuating between 20.54% and 16.16%. The Regional Unit of Thasos, which coincides with the island of Thasos, is the smallest one, with just 2.3% of the region’s population. The Regional Units of Kavala and Thasos assemble the highest tourist activity in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Both BSB-GR regions, as well as the entire country, have a well-developed touristic profile, especially regarding their coastal areas, that is comprised predominately of mass summer vacation tourism and to a lesser extent of other, “alternative” forms of tourism including experiential tourism. The latter has only recently been into the agenda of tourism in Greece either through local initiatives, especially of the private sector, or through the government policy and the 365-days tourism campaign. Regarding heritage and cultural resources, the entire BSB-GR region has very rich tangible cultural resources, relating to various periods in history, a heritage that serves as a major tourist attraction for domestic and international tourism. They also have very rich intangible cultural resources related to the very rich variety of customs and traditions that construct a remarkable and diverse local culture. The following report aims to assess the main problems, needs and potential for the development of heritage- and culture-based tourism in the entire BSB-GR region. The report is based on a 3 Common borders. Common solutions. survey of national and regional statistical data, semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders, such tourist companies or culture and heritage providers, which operate in the BSB-GR region, local, regional and national agents, and a questionnaire on consumers’ attitudes and perspectives. 1. Economic profile, share of tourism sector and the development of cultural sectors in the BSB-GR region 1.1. Economic profile of the BSB-GR region In 2018 (year with the most recent available data) the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Greece was 179.727 mil €. During the period 2010-2018, the national GDP decreased by an annual rate of change of 2.7% as a result of the economic crisis and recession following the year 2009. Regarding the regional market size, in 2018 Central Macedonia produced 13,7% of the country’s total GDP (24,607 mil. €, making it the second region in the country, after Attica, in terms of GDP. The focal point of growth within the region is the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, concentrating 64.1% of the region’s GDP (15,774 mil. €). The contribution of the other Regional Units in the regional market size ranges between 7% (Serres) and 3.7% (Kilkis). Throughout the period 2010-2018 the regional GDP performed a decrease with an annual rate of 2.5%, approximately at the same level with that of the country’s average. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, on the other hand, produced in 2018 only 3.8% of the country’s total GDP, which was equal to 6,873 mil. €. The Regional Units of Kavala-Thasos and Evros contributed to the largest share of the region’s total GDP, 26.8% and 26.1% respectively. During 2010-2018 the regional GDP decreased by an annual average of 3.5%, much higher than the country’s average, with the Regional Unit of Xanthi performing the highest rate of decrease (-4,5%). Gross Domestic Product Average Annual 2018 Share in BSB-GR Rate of Change, Country (€ mil.) 2010-2018 Central Macedonia 24,607 13.69% -2,50% Eastern Macedonia & 6,795 3.78% -3,53% Thrace Greece 179,727 100.00% -2,72% Data Source: EL.STAT, 2021 In 2018 the national GDP per capita was 16,745€. In the 2010-2018 period, its annual percentage, fell in average by 4.5% annually, as from 2010 to 2016 it decreased steadily and only in the last two years 2017-18 exhibited a slight increase. Central Macedonia’s GDP Per Capita (13,125€), is lower than the country’s average and accounts for 54% of the EU28 average. As expected, the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki has a higher GDP Per Capita (14,273€), followed by Halkidiki 4 Common borders. Common solutions. (13,806€), Pella (11,968€), Imathia (11,221€), Kilkis (11,193€), Pieria (11,015€), and Serres (10,251€). The region’s GDP Per Capita also decreased during the period 2010-2018, at a slightly lower rate (-4.3%) than the national average. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace exhibited, in 2018, the second lowest GDP Per Capita in the country at 11,446€, making it one of the poorest regions in Europe (standing at 47% of the EU28 average). The Regional Unit of Kavala-Thasos is the richest amongst the region’s regional units averaging a GDP Per Capita of 13,770€, followed by Evros (12,154€), Rodopi (10,416€), Drama (10,340€) and Xanthi (9,713€). The region showed a marked decline (-6.85%) in 2010-2018. GDP